Lunar Light
by tigress345
Summary: When Luna awakens in a world she has no memories of, she realises that there is more to life than what she had known. Though, when her appearance in Burgess drags her into something much bigger than Discord's petty games, she wonders if she can find the light in the dark. Will she ever get back to Equestria? Will she want to? Disclaimer: I don't own MLP or RotG.
1. Re-Awakening

**Lunar Light**

 **Part 1 - Belief**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Re-Awakening**

What Princess Luna had been expecting, was to wake up in Equestria. Yet, by Celestia, that was most certainly _not_ what happened. In fact, she came to the very opposite conclusion, the moment her eyes opened to scan her surroundings tiredly.

Her mind was scattered at the time; possibly the after-effect of yet another argument with her sister. Those never ended well. Not for the younger pony anyway.

'Where am I?' she thought to herself, as she slowly lifted her head. There was the scarcely successful attempt to get on her hooves, that ended with a fall on her front as she realised that she couldn't feel her front pair of appendages beneath her. Or at least, not in the way she was supposed to. They didn't make as much sound either and seemed much less capable of carrying her body than they should have been-

"Wha-?!"

Luna gasp, unable to comprehend the situation as her gaze fell on a pair of a different sort of appendages.

Hands.

Though of course, being a pony all her life, with no humans around, she had no idea what those were. Nor the long protrusions coming from her palms. She couldn't recognise herself. Much less her surroundings. After all, it had been summer last she checked. So... why was the ground so cold, fluffy and...

"Snow?" She blinked again. 'In summer?'

She shook her head. This couldn't have been right. That was impossible. Unless of course Discord had something to do with this. That fiend. It was quite likely he had done such a thing - turned her into this strange creature and messed around with the seasons. Or perhaps she had entered a coma, lasting in it for several months. No, that seemed improbable.

Disoriented, she could only pity her state and attempt to get up at all, dreading the cold ground beneath her. To be fair though, she was surprised that she hadn't realised this earlier.

Trying to stand up again, she tried to use her forelimbs to push her off the ground, before stabilising herself on her back legs. It had worked, right up until the point where she had thought of taking a step forward only to fall.

"Woah!" she cried out, bracing herself for the impact as she landed yet again, onto the ground. Letting out a muffled moan against the snow, she cursed her bad luck. And Discord too, believing him to be the culprit.

"Careful, the ground's pretty slippery at this time of year," a masculine voice called out from behind her.

She froze.

The male chuckled, before walking up to her. She noticed that he wore no shoes despite having skin, not hooves nor fur. 'Shouldn't he be cold, then?' she asked herself, watching him in both confusion and wariness. He was an odd creature, for sure. Standing on two, with an impish expression on a youthful face adorned with pale skin, freckles and bright blue eyes. He had two other appendages, one holding a wooden staff. Strange, indeed.

"Wh-who are you?" she inquired suspiciously, watching the other's every move.

He laughed, his eyes brightening with amusement. Was this a past time for him, watching others struggle? "You know, usually, I would be the one asking in a case like this. I mean, if you can see me, you should really know who I am," he retorted, saying it in a way that made it seem so logical.

Though to Luna, none of this made sense.

She raised an eyebrow. " _What_ are you?" she corrected her question, narrowing her eyes at him.

He seemed unfazed, by it. "Jack Frost, Spirit of Fun," he introduced himself with a mock bow, "at your service."

'Spirit?' Luna's lips parted in awe and shock. It would explain a lot, of course, considering he looked like no other species in Equestria. Though, it most certainly wouldn't explain why he neither had any respect, nor knowledge of who she was. Or why his main didn't seem to cover more than his scalp and was so ruffled. Oughtn't a male take care of himself better? His attire too, so strange it was. With a hood as though he might be hiding secrets half the time and covered in flakes and patterns of snow that never seemed to melt. Though, they really should.

"So... any particular reason why you're practically hugging the ground?" Jack questioned a short while afterwards. He seemed to levitate off the ground, just a little bit, hovering just a few inches above the snow.

Oh, dear Equestria, she didn't think she could keep her sanity intact for much longer. "Hugging the ground...?"

"Yeah! I mean, you could just be making snow angels, but I'm pretty sure lying on your back would suffice for that," Jack rambled on.

She sighed, completely lost at this point. "Jack, can I ask you for a favour?" The Princess, despite her ranks, was almost begging now, hoping to get out of this. Though before she could go and have her revenge on Discord (if it had been the maniac's fault after all), she would have to find out where the hell she was. Who she was. What she was. How the heck did one stand on those two hind limbs... and that was just the beginning.

* * *

Pitch glowered at the Nightmares that stood before him.

Those traitors. The whole pathetic lot of them. How dare they betray him, fight _against_ him after what he had tried to achieve for not only himself but for them? Those rabid animals, one just as vicious as the other had stripped him of his dignity, foiled his attempt at escape and made his life a hell on - or rather beneath - Earth. There was a great list of things he could say to them, punishments he could endow them with.

The equines seemed to back away slowly this time, realising that they were at a loss. There would be no benefits that could possibly come from scaring their master. For unlike the past several years, he would not respond. Their ears seemed tilted back, their heads bowed down in submission. Yes, they were servants. No more, not anymore. He was the one in command. As he should have been for all those years. Yet.

The guardians had foiled his plans. Ruined everything, like they had done before, time and time again. He was sick and tired of their constant victories. Though so long as lady luck stood on their side; so long as they had belief, he would remain in the shadows, unseen and unheard.

"Get back to work, you ungrateful beasts," he hissed at them. Immediately, they dispersed, unwilling to argue. The corners of the spirit's lips twitched upwards at this, turning his mouth into a heinous smirk. The glamorously threatening array or serrated teeth poked from out of his jaws, accompanying that fearsome expression. It was one of his signature features, one which marked him as Nightmare _King_. He was the more intimidating of the dark spirits, as far as anyone was concerned. He wa the one who sent chills down the spines of grown men. And as such, no one dared disobey him.

So long as he had power.

He would of course; he would become powerful once more. All he needed to do was to vanquish the Guardians from the planet he deemed his playground, his Kingdom, a long time ago. This time, it would be once and for all.

The look on his face faded out, replaced by a neutral expression. That wasn't how he was feeling, not really. Frustration was still very much dominating his mind and heart. After all, how could he defeat five Guardians? It was unfair when there were four against one, never mind Jack Frost joining the party. It seemed like a cruel joke. That a bunch of inexperienced fools - with the help of a bunch of even less experienced, naive children - could have stolen his victory. Banished him into the shadows. With a single touch. With just a hint of belief.

Just like that.

Everything he had worked for...

Centuries of planning...

All for naught!

All because of a group of obnoxious spirits, naive children and one pest to manipulate them all.

That irked Pitch most of all. Despite all his powers, despite all the belief he had once beheld... he had fallen so low, so easily. He was beneath them now, just like he'd always seemed to be. Fight after fight, he'd always lost.

With his nightmares gone, he finally moved, exhaling. He was free yet again, to do as he wished. He'd full fill that wish too, soon enough. However...

He would need allies for that. This time of course, not of the nightmare variety.

Walking up one of the ramps, he slowly made his way to the large globe, one similar to North's. Golden-silver orbs fell upon the continent of North America, noting down the lights on Burgess with a faint interest. After all, one of those lights wasn't completely normal. The lights on his globe had consisted of gold up until now. Yet this one, the new one, wasn't golden at all. Brighter than ever, it shone with a silver-white colour.

'How very, _very_ interesting,' the shadow mused in silencing focusing on this new believer.

He would have to find out more about the Guardians' newest light. Though for now, he needed to wait for his nightmares to return. Hopefully willing to cooperate more.


	2. Differences

**Lunar Light**

 **Part 1 - Belief**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Differences**

 **[North Pole]**

North was in the globe-room, finishing sketches for a new invention of his. A genius idea, really. Or so the Cossack thought as he rendered the last parts of the drawing with a brown pencil. To give it that homely, wooden feel. Old-fashioned, but elegant in a sense. After all, what child didn't appreciate the beauty in his toys. Nicholas Saint North created nothing less than the perfect gifts.

"And done," he exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, dropping the pencil. Looking at it closely, he could feel his heart swell in pride at his work. He was sure at least one child would love such an originally designed toy. Maybe enough to be good for a few months afterwards...

A yeti that had been accompanying him here, gave a small murmur of praise.

"I agree, that vas vhat I vas going for."

Turning his head from the sheet, he looked towards the globe. Yes, that was what he was going-

"Shostakovich!" North's eyes widened as they fell upon the continent of North America. It hadn't been noticeable at first glance, but having blinked a couple of times, squinting to check, he could see something very strange on that landmass.

The yeti leaned in, eyeing the object with the same innocent confusion and shock.

"Not possible," North muttered in a low voice, reaching out to Pennsylvania. The lights there seemed steady, still shining and brighter than ever. Except, one of them looked very different from the rest. Instead of being golden, like the rest of the lights had, it seemed to glow with a white and silver hue, tinged with a slight bit of dark blue. Something that he had thought impossible. Every child in the world had a relatively similar amount and type of belief, believing in the Guardians only, which coloured their lights gold. That faith in their existence is what made the Guardians visible to the children of the world. There really wasn't a reason why the light would be this colour instead. It shone so brightly and in shape it was similar, but in colour, it was anything but. Why?

His helper garbled something in his native language, glancing at North. Raising a bushy eyebrow, he turned away from the globe.

"Could it be...?"

Perhaps this light wasn't like the other children. Or a child at all.

Of course, the thought seemed preposterous. Even to someone as naive and prone to believing the most unlikely things, such as the ex-bandit and spirit of Wonder himself had been, it seemed highly unlikely. Yet, if this light by chance was special, if there was, a fortuity of that belief being just as strong if not stronger than that of a regular child...

It would spell trouble for the Guardians if Pitch ever got his hands on this believer.

Almost without thinking, North stepped up to the controls in the room, pulling a bright red lever. No sooner did he do so, the luminescent lights of the aurora borealis flooded the sky, reaching every corner of the world. For the first time in a decade, a massive spectacle that signified the beginnings of yet another war was visible throughout the world. Including India, were a girl dropped her ice cream whilst craning her neck in order to get a better look at the sky, completely and utterly shell-shocked. That, and Australia, where a teacher promised not to have another swig of beer after seeing the glow.

 **-H-**

 **[Australia, Easter Bunny's Warren]**

Winter spirits weren't the only ones with talent when it came to art. E. Aster Bunnymund was gifted in that area too. Having nothing to do for the past few months, he resigned to painting pictures on a canvas. His latest, an aboriginal painting of the Australian outback, stood proudly leaning against the easel. He too took a step back once done, admiring it with a similar expression to the of North. For how original one thought themselves from another, similarities run deep into their mannerism.

His ears twitched somewhat as the sound of something small running through grass awakened him. A furry creature the size of a rabbit was making their way up to the oversized rabbit - not that it could escape Aster's radar. Not by a mile.

Tilting his head, he turned to face the critter that had managed to successfully infiltrate the tunnelling system, to meet one of his workers. The bandicoot in question reared on its hind legs, nose twitching. It seemed nervous and excited at the same time, anything but calm. Large brown eyes looked up to the bandicoot's boss before it let out a few small squeaks.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch tha-" Aster leaned in. Not that he was deaf, but the little guy definitely needed to slow down. Saying that those words came from something akin to a rabbit. And everyone knew rabbits liked to do everything at speed.

A few shrill sounds later, Aster frowned.

'Crickey,' he panicked in silence, looking up. He hoped this was good. This _better_ be good. No would force the Easter Bunny all that way North to endure the blistering winds and miserable temperatures unless it was for a _good_ reason.

Another squeak.

"You can go, mate, this is my job," Aster assured the little marsupial, ushering it away with a large forepaw. With that being said, the rabbit dashed through the main tunnel, headed straight to the North Pole. Stopping only to shiver for a bit and to complain about the weather. Which unsurprisingly was just as terrible as it had been the last time he'd been here.

 **-H-**

 **[Asia, Punjam Hy Loo, Palace of the Tooth Fairy]**

"Incisor, at 88 falcon avenue, Inverness, Northern Hemisphere," the voice of the Tooth Fairy resounded through the palace, as a million multicoloured, feathery fairy fluttered around busily, clutching the teeth in their hands as if they were treasures.

"Oh, another canine! And look how clean it is! Today is our lucky day!" Toothianna chirped excitedly, as she quickly took the ivory from one of the fairies, before placing it into one of the teeth containers stored within the walls of the building. She turned around, immediately noting an incoming premolar, before squeaking with excitement upon receiving a pristinely coloured wisdom tooth form another of her mini fairies.

There was nothing odd about this kind of geek-out action in Punjam Hy Loo, considering this place housed _tooth fairies_ of all creatures. The others were just as excited as her in her defence, but then again, they were very much extensions of herself. They were almost like her daughters, or perhaps her best friends, not just her minions. Each of the little faes had their own personalities, yet the common love for teeth made them a family. One Toothianna was proud of, along with her expansive collection of teeth from every corner of the world. And it was wasn't _just_ human ivories that she collected. Her collection of bicuspids and canines extended to other mammals, including cats and dogs and her love for studying them, determining the lifestyle of the creature who had once been their proud owner was even bigger.

"Wait... is this... yes! A canine from a Panthera tigris. What a beauty!"

The surrounding fairies could only nod in agreement, before she flew off to place it in a different sort of casket, specifically made for the teeth of animals, before returning to her duties. Though, more so than simple accounting and the occasionally dull observation on how work was being carried out within the walls of Toothianna's home, the favourite part of Toothianna's day was fieldwork. Actually going out into the world and meeting the children, watching over them as they slept and seeing the sights, hearing the sounds of the new world.

She'd have to wait for night to come.

Her thoughts were cut off, as she was approached by a jittery fairy. The little creature was no clone, not like the ones before her. This one had magenta feathers and red eyes, her feathers a whole different texture and pattern. After the Nightmare War, Toothianna opted for giving her loyal fairies a different design to make them feel unique and special. They deserved to be treated with more care and attention, something Toothianna had taken some time to realise. After their kidnapping, however, she began to see how little attention she had actually paid her 'daughters'. She hadn't even named most of them before the war. Now it was time for a change and she more than happily obliged in showing her gratitude to her fairies.

Toothianna blinked, looking at the mini fairy, startled. "What? An Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? Here?" she inquired.

 _"Yes, just outside, mother. You have to see this!"_ the little fairy pulled at her shoulder.

Following the little creature out of the palace, she glanced up to the sky. Her eyes widened. It really was the Northern Lights. "Sakura-iro, come with me, we're going to the Pole," she ordered, before glancing to some of the other fairies. Along with four other fairies, the fairy with feathers of a deep pink flew off after her mother.

 **-H-**

 **[Sandy's Island]**

"Can you draw out the story of how you defeated Pitch, again?" Asrai pleaded in that innocent voice of hers.

Sanderson Monsnoozie had just been relaxing on one of the beach chairs, listening to the faint sound of sea waves crashing against the strandline. He sighed, sitting up. He adored his mermaid's, but there were times when they could be very... clingy. One great example: today.

He shook his head. _I'm pretty sure that I've retold this story at least a dozen times... and it wasn't just me, if I recall correctly._

Sandy may have been persistent, but so were the aquatic creatures that could be ever-so-lovely companions on some days and waterborne pests on others. "Oh, but it's been a year! Besides, Calypso hasn't heard it yet," Asrai tried again, turning to her mermaid friend with a 'pretend you've heard nothing' expression on her face. Of course, Calypso was only too interested in hearing the story for the second time and so she just nodded. Then, as if believing it to be unconvincing, she shook her head. But believing that had, in fact, meant, "no Asrai is lying" she immediately nodded again.

Sandy looked at Calypso with a suspicious expression, raising a non-existent brow.

"And you were the one who managed to knock Pitch unconscious," Asrai added.

 _If you remember it so vividly, why don't you retell it, Asrai?_ He turned to the first mermaid with hair of pallid gold and scales of a similar colour. She blushed, smiling sheepishly.

"I'm not as good a storyteller," she tried.

Calypso nodded resolutely this time. In all honesty, Asrai was every bit biased and didn't have the same way with words - or rather pictures, in this case - as Sanderson did. In fact, the water girl couldn't create pictures at all. Only Sandy could do it in the lively way he did.

Sigh... It looked like Sandy would have to give in to the ladies' wishes after all.

 _That day,_ he began, writing the words along with pictures to accompany it, _I was patrolling the Americas, when the bright hues of the Aurora Borealis-_

But before he could even get to the part where Aster and North were arguing at the Pole, one of the mermaids gasped. "Wow, Sandy, you haven't done that before," murmured Calypso, finally speaking. Asrai nodded absentmindedly, looking to the sky along with her friend. Beffudled, Sandy looked at them with a quizzical expression. What had he-?

As he did, looking up, he spotted the bright, Northern lights floating gracefully in the sky. 'Wait... that couldn't have been me,' he thought, looking at his hands. 'But if it wasn't me then the only reason for this would be... North!'

 **-H-**

 **[North America, Burgess]**

The pair of strangers walked through the snow in silence now, with Luna still attempting to comprehend all this new information. She was human; according to Jack Frost, who was presumably a winter spirit. However, no matter how confusing and downright unbelievable it was, she knew she had no choice _but_ to believe this person she had just met. How else would she ever find her way out of here?

Well, at least the animals were familiar.

The robins on the trees still sang in the same cheerful little tunes and sparrows twittered eagerly amongst themselves, spreading messages and possible girl gossip throughout this curious town ran by an even more curious species. She would at times catch the rare glimpse of a dog and his owner walking by. Some would even pad up to them, wagging their tails in merriment as they looked up at Jack and Luna. _They_ seemed to be able to see the two of them. On the other hand, it was as if the human inhabitant of this area seemed to have their faces veiled with blindfolds, blind to her acquaintance.

 _"Do none of the humans see you?"_ She had asked minutes ago. The boy had taken quite some time to think about it, frowning. She'd decided that it wasn't quite the right look on his normally cheerful face.

 _"The adults, not so much. Children do, depending on whether they believe in me, or not. As do 'anomalies',"_ Jack responded in a melancholic voice.

 _"But you are real, are you not?"_

 _"It doesn't matter. That's how the world is,"_ he responded, shrugging his shoulders.

That's how the world is. Well, that explained a lot. Luna sighed, shaking her head. Her attention shortly feel upon a tree branch, as she saw the bare twigs and the rough textures surfacing from under the snow.

Burgess, she had decided, was a strange place to be in.

"Woah!" she heard Jack cry out. Tilting her head to the sky, she looked up in bafflement. Was that an Aurora Borealis? The boy stepped back, bumping into her as he did so. "Well... this can either be about the time I conjured up a snowstorm in the middle of summer or Tall and Lanky has decided to show up again," Jack commented sourly, sighing.

Or neither, as they would find out soon enough.

Taking out a snowglobe from his hoodie pocket, he took just enough time to throw it for Luna to question his intentions, before pulling the former princess in a vortex of various shapes and colours. Only for them to be spat out seconds later on someone's beautifully polished and clean floorboards.

 **-H-**

 **[Northern America, Burgess, A Few Seconds Later...]**

Pitch had just arrived in Burgess. Only to be told by one of his spies, that the new believer had vanished just seconds ago. Using one of North's globes too. So his apparent anger would have surprised no one.

'That fiendish brat!' he thought, pacing around with his hands clenched in fists. 'When I get to him, I will...'

But no matter how much he wanted to wring that scrawny, white-haired pest's neck, that option was not at his disposition. Wallowing in self-pity was another option, but it was not a route he would take for he was much too prideful a spirit for that. He would have to act. Which meant that he would have to cross a few lines. How hard could it be, really? If it meant he would get that pretty little light of his, he would do so without any thoughts against the notion.

" _You_ ," he hissed at one of the nightmares at his side. Albeit keeping a distance, the mare turned to face her master. "Ensure that my soon-to-be light is at the Pole," came the order. Of course, the mare showed a reluctance to complete the task. The fear she displayed may have been warranted, but it was a distraction at the very same time. One that Pitch would have no patience for. " _Now_ , you misbegotten beast!" he added, his voice rising. The mare backed away, her tail between her legs. She almost tripped up as she tried to keep at a distance from her master's rage. "And _don't_ return until you have news to bear."

Taking in the threatening looking on Pitch's face, the mare immediately turned and fled.

After that little show, he averted his gaze towards the rest of his nightmares. They too seemed shaken by the threat, keeping him at a far proximity from them. His only response to their measly reactions was his signature smirk.

 **-H-**

 **[North Pole]**

The room seemed to buzz with life now. The yetis had, of course, left the room quite sometime before the guests arrived. They were either fortunate or misfortunate enough to miss out on the quarrel that North and Aster had yet again preoccupied themselves with.

"I'm tellin' ya, if you dragged me by the tail just so you could act like a bloody show pony, then ya can shove that idea-"

"Bunny, Bunny, Bunny," North attempted to placate the Aussie, smiling to himself. "Do you think I vould drag you here in middle of vinter if it veren't important?"

The rhetorical question did nothing to reassure the spirit of Easter of course and he immediately fired another few curses. "Bull dust, you think me stupid, mate? That's exactly like ya," he snapped back at the Russian, pointing a paw at him.

North promptly took a few steps back, realising that it isn't the wisest of ideas to be near an angry Aussie, especially not in a cold climate.

Meanwhile Tooth and Sandy were sharing trivial greetings and the odd smile, before partaking in some idle talk. In reality, though, it was a way to pass time whilst the two bigger spirits were in a corner arguing. Toothianna, of course, was surrounded by her little flock of mini fairies and so expectedly, she would occasionally say a random fact or coordinate point of a tooth.

Jack and Luna, who had just arrived at the scene a few moments after the rest of them, were standing at the side, watching the others. Jack was busy being lazy, too lazy to do anything more than lean against the wooden walls, waiting for North and Aster to cease their quarrels. Luna merely viewed her surrounding in confusion. It took her a moment for everything to set in. This was the North Pole! The one that Jack Frost had told her about. It was massive too, not as large as the castle in Canterlot, but near enough. She wondered if it had libraries...

 _Not now, Luna. You need to find your way out of here._

Luna sighed, glancing at Jack. Who still refused to budge.

"Ah, guests!" the jolly voice of Saint Nick brought her back to the present. Her heart leapt at the sudden sound of his voice. Tilting her head up - and realising how massive _he_ is in comparison to her petite form - she looked up at North's equally rejoiced face. His baby blue eyes seemed to twinkle brightly an a smile was plastered on a pale face, complete with a beard and white hair.

"I... hope I'm not intruding on anything," she apologised in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

 _Luna! Calm down. You are a princess. Act like one. Act responsibly. Politely._

The man patted her on the shoulder as though she were an old friend, almost putting her off balance. Jack seemed amused by the this, chuckling quietly, as he stepped forward, detaching himself from the wall.

"Hey there, North," the frost sprite greeted coolly.

"Preevyet, Jack!" North turned to the boy, embracing him in a bear hug. Jack squirmed a bit at first, about to protest, but decided against it.

"So, who is this young дéвушка?" North inquired, after pulling away.

Jack seemed to have been put on a spot, for he acted nervously, rubbing his neck. "Actually, I'm not _really_ sure how to say this. I mean, I found her in Burgess, but..."

North muttered something under his breath but smiled never the less. "Never matter."

Jack and Luna both blinked in confusion. The Russian may have had centuries behind him, but there were some areas of English he was certainly behind on. 'I'd say that he means never mind, but it matters not.'

To North, it became clear that this must have been the strange new light. She was too tall for a child and too... well... grown up, developed, too. She seemed like more or less an adult and spoke like one too. That was enough to convince him, especially since he had never seen her before, yet here she shows up now, by Jack's side.

"You are from far?" he asked Luna after a while, leading the female from Jack. She nodded. "Cold too?"

She looked down at the floor, but smile never the less. Definitely cold.

"I could get yetis to get you a more comfortable dress if you vant," he commented. "You may have to stay around for a vhile."

"I... I really can't..."

"Nonsense!" North proclaimed, before calling the yetis to him. "Get our guest something better to vear."

The pony-turned-human could only stand and watch, unsure of what to say or do. She had never met yetis before, not as far as she could remember. They were massive, tall, furry, but gentle, much like North himself. Everything around here was so different. It seemed too big for her to understand all this. How could yetis even understand the human and he them? Well, human. Technically, he was a spirit. Though he looked almost exactly like any other human she had seen, even if admittedly, there weren't many of those to back up her claims.

Soon enough, she was being dragged into a guest room, with little choice and sent to change into an item of clothing of the yeti's picking. It seemed questionable that creatures as large as the yetis would know where to find, or how to make clothing suited for a humanoid creature of her size. Still, she didn't dare argue, after all, she was the guest. Insulting her hosts would have only caused rifts between them. She needed their cooperation in order to get back to Equestria. She wanted to get back there. As she peered in the mirror, that old opinion became much more clear. Her reflection. It was so alien to her. Standing in that red and white dress, thick, warm and furry around the colour and the base of the skirt, she knew she didn't fit hear. One could have argued that her hair had been dyed a deep blue, but she knew otherwise. It was meant to be this way. Her skin was no longer a deep blue, but a very pale colour, adorned with very faint freckles. Her eyes were large and very much the same colour much to her relief and framed with the same, long lashes. Though, she had no horn to speak of. As for her mane, it was hair now, long and wavy, but not sparkling or translucent.

She reached out to the mirror with one hand. This wasn't her. This was someone else. She didn't even have wings... or did she?

No, if she had, they would be shifting against her back subconsciously, uncomfortable after being kept bound for so long underneath the red outfit. Well, at least it was warm and elegant, much more fit than the thin skirt and blouse from earlier, the one she had little recollection of falling asleep in any way.

She sighed. There would be other problems she needed to face. She may no longer be an alicorn.

But she would face it like an alicorn.

Speaking of being an alicorn at heart...

'I do hope Celestia is alright...'

 **-H-**

 **Author's Notes**

(1) _Panthera Tigris_ **\- In case you haven't figured this out, that is the scientific name for a tiger, any kind, really. I decided to expand on Toothianna's teeth-collecting habits by including some from other species of animals. Being part animal, it seems to me that her knowledge on other animals would be more natural, along with her interest in them.**

(2) _Sakura-_ _iro_ **\- This fairy's name is a certified Asian name, which seems fitting as it is relevant to the area of the world in which Punjam Hy Loo is situated in. The colouring for this fairy's eyes should give a hint on the name, as the words translate into "cherry blossom coloured". In this case, it is a deep red variety of blossoms. I decided that it would make each fairy more recognisable if they had a few real differences to set them apart. Besides, at least it would make it easier for Toothianna, who has plenty to remember already, to remember the names of her beloved mini-fairies.**

(3) _Asrai and Calypso_ ** _-_ There has been mention of Sandy's island. He shares this island with a group of mermaids. The names and personalities are made up though. Calypso is a sea goddess, in myths, whereas Asrai is an aquatic fairy of English folklore, so it makes sense to name these mermaids using said names. **

(4) _North's accent and words such as дéвушка and Shostakovich_ ** _-_ Apologies if I am offending someone with this, or if I have misused the words, but I am no Russian. I hope that I don't come off as an amateur trying to imitate the Russian accent. The first of the two words should mean girl or lady. Shostakovich was, if I understand correctly, a Russian scientist. Preevyet is 'hi' in Russian. **

(5) _Bunny, likely atrocious Australian_ ** _-_ Well, that was my attempt at making Aster sound more Aussie...(?) Bull dust should translate to nonsense or ridiculous. Show pony is the word for show off, but I might have really just missed used it. **


	3. Problems & Solutions

**Lunar Light**

 **Part 1 - Belief**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Problems & Solutions**

 **[Equestria, Canterlot Castle]**

It hadn't surprised Celestia that her younger sister, Luna, had gone off somewhere shortly before the day arrived in a world where alicorns controlled day and night. The moon had indeed faded away, leaving Celestia to raise the sun in peace, without her sister trying to stop her. Perhaps the princess of the night simply wanted to be alone for a bit. Unfortunately, by the time evening came and it was high time for Luna to ensure the moon would regain its rightful place in the sky amidst the stars, the young co-ruler was nowhere to be found. She had not yet returned and was already ten minutes late as it were.

"Find princess Luna," the elder princess had ordered two of her knights.

They had gone without starting a dispute with their superior, searching high and low. However, despite all efforts, both guards came with empty hooves, lowering their head in regret and worry as they returned to Celestia. Luna wasn't in Canterlot.

So instead, reluctantly, Celestia thought to take over her sister's duty until she was found and with great concern, called her best ponies, including the mane six, to continue the search for her sister. As much as it ate away at her conscious, spreading guilt through her mind, her duty was to her people as much as it was to her sibling, no matter where she was.

 _'Luna, please, come back,'_ she prayed, looking out of one of the windows that night, closing her eyes as she hesitantly raised the moon instead of her sister for the first time in months. It felt wrong to do this; to take over what had always been her sister's speciality. Yet it had to be done to keep balance. It mattered not. The country she protected and ruled over with a fair hand may have been at relative peace; more at peace that she would have thought, despite Twilights worry ("oh, no, not Luna! This is awful! What if you disappear too!? And Candance?!"). Though her mind was in a chaotic state. Asides from the time she had banished her sister to the moon - and she still very much regretted that choice, every single day - the two were family and were never far away from one another.

It looked to be another restless night, a night without sleep, for Celestia couldn't sleep. Her place ensured that. She sighed, shaking her head.

The next day as the sun was ready to set, Celestia appearance changed for the worse with her constant concern that had been consuming her throughout the entire night. It did intimidate the guards a fair bit, along with some of the messengers that had turned to her with bad news.

"We haven't gotten any news of her, your highness," they spoke, each and every time. They looked down, respectfully mourning, but they could never miss Luna in the way Celestia missed her already.

This would continue for another tiring day, with Discord popping up to annoy her out of her mane. He'd disappear and reappear, with spiteful, ominous comments that made her shudder in fear and hiss at him in resentment. She had let the fool wander freely and that was how he acted? With no respect towards someone who had shown him kindness?

"Why worry, Princess?" Discord cooed mockingly, as he smirked at her, his mismatched arms crossed over his torso as he stood in her castle, leaning against a pillar with a look that would have made one think that he owned this place.

She narrowed her eyes at the fiend. "She is my sister."

"And? What's the worse that could happen? After all, she can't possibly be in the Everfree Forest, can she? Or perhaps she's just visiting the Froggy Bottom Bog... maybe talking to some of her ancestors," he teased.

She scowled, attempting to - unsuccessfully so - ignore the cloven-hoofed ex-villain.

"Or Hollow Shades... or perhaps some poor fella mistook her for some evil spirit and trapped her in Tartarus... or perhaps she's finally found her own way to Chaosville, I wouldn't put it passed that filly. She's a smart one..."

As Celestia listened, she was this close and only growing closer to kicking him out of the castle with her own hooves. She was on edge as it was and gritting her teeth wasn't about to ease her bundle of nerves. However, she tried to act most gracefully about it, behaving like a lady and ignoring it. Many of her country's citizens had come and gone whilst Discord kept rambling and she had managed to miraculously keep her head straight and answer all their questions. The occasional pony would look towards Discord, before giving Celestia a quizzical look, but she decided to wave off those too, before letting the ponies to mind their own business as they walked out of the large building. Leaving her with no choice _but_ to listen to Discord's mockery.

"Do you think perhaps the changelings changed their ideals yet again? I'm sure there are still some rogue, love-eating changelings out there, waiting for Luna to come by, perhaps accidentally fall in love with-"

"Alright, now you're beginning to sound absolutely ridiculous," she finally cut the draconequus.

He seemed to vanish from his spot, before reappearing by Celestia's side, patting her on the head. "I finally got to you? Good to know you were listening," he commented. Sending him a glare, she managed to apparate the creature a few feet to the left. For reasons of personal space - two words that Discord would likely never grasp at the meaning of.

"No, but your foolishness will cost you your freedom if you don't watch your tongue," she retorted.

She walked off then, looking to her guards, who promptly shot Discord a glare, before pointing their weaponry on him. Backing away a little, he was about to crack one more joke when the mare added: "oh and I wouldn't say anything else Discord. I have a feeling my sister will return, and when she does, she will not be as lenient as I am."

With that, Discord vanished immediately, leaving not a trace of fur, feathers or scales behind.

She sighed, shaking her head. If only her little sister had been here. Both of them would have a much easier time dealing with him than just one of them. Or if Fluttershy was here. Who was also, unfortunately, searching for Luna at present.

 **=H=**

 **[North Pole]**

Walking through the entirety of North's home had been an experience that she would have considered entertaining and wonderful if there hadn't been so many thoughts buzzing in her head. Yet, when the evening came and it was time to lie down on that bed set up in the comfortable little guest room that the yetis had set up, all she could feel was loneliness. Saying that she'd been surrounded by plenty of spirits; perhaps even too many spirits. With no chance of her eyes shutting on their own, she would think of the evening she had just had, with all the new experiences instead, looking up at the ceiling.

There'd be learning to stabilise herself on the two new legs she had acquired.

The odd praises she'd receive when she came downstairs, with all five spirits giving their compliments and the strange questions they would ask about her hair, wondering if she had died it and she would have forced a lie - yes, yes she had. After all, what else could she say? That she really was like this? What if this wasn't normal. Sure, white hair apparently was common enough between spirits, but blue?

Then there'd be the dinner, the odd conversation, in which Luna pretended to have remembered a few things from her so-called past, but then, after a certain point, she had forgotten everything, including where she had really been living. It was an excuse not to talk about something overly complicated and to make wild accusations, but it seemed sincere enough to her host. That in itself; the sheer belief that the other held in her; was enough to make her hope that she would never have to get around to telling the truth. Celestia knows how they would take it, and currently, Celestia didn't seem to be in this world.

Asides from that, she had spent most of the time at dinner, looking at the cutlery, plates and the dishes served and wondering about each one of them. Without a horn, she had no magic to make eating simpler and to be fair, she didn't know whether or not the eating etiquette was the same. As for the meals, they didn't seem like hay or apples. She could see a few pieces of carrot in them, but there were other things in there that she couldn't remember having seen. That, Luna had told herself, she would have to explore later, _after_ she had gotten a rest. A rest which never came in the end.

Of course, during the meal itself, Jack would be the main spirit talking. It helped, but only so much. Whenever he cracked a joke, she was capable of at least pretending amusement. Though when the questions came, she knew she wasn't at all prepared for this.

After that, Jack had given her a tour of the North Pole, since North claimed to be busy and Jack had joked: "yeah, with making up new interrogation techniques for your guests."

That was something that North _hadn't_ laughed at.

He had only stopped by the library for a few seconds, as if tormenting Luna on purpose, before leading her away from the only place she was at least 50% certain that she would understand. After all, what was so difficult about books? On that front, she may have been a bit like Twilight Sparkle (albeit a little calmer and collected for the most part). Though, before she could ask where she was led, she had been dragged into what Jack had called, with much dramatic effect, "Santa's Workshop", before explaining that this was where the Yetis helped build the toys instead of the pesky little elves and North (Santa) designed them. This truly surprised her, as she looked up at the floating pieces of plastic, metal and a few bits of electrical wiring and still couldn't believe that there was such a thing as a flying toy jellyfish. She even proceeded to stare at it for half an hour, before deciding that she would try to make one of those for her sister if she had ever made it back. Though as she understood it, there seemed to be only a minuscule chance of those sentimentalities taking place and so she immediately shook them away, particularly after Jack started to laugh at her expression.

As he had led her back though, the cheeriness of the place did slowly begin to latch onto her and until she entered the bedroom, she felt just a little more at ease. Her plans even seemed to make more sense now.

1) Ask for permission to North's library.

2) Find out where you are and the rules of this world.

3) Search for a portal.

4) End this contact with the others quickly so to minimise the possible problems that could arise with her being here.

5) Return to Equestria and fix whatever mistakes made in her absence.

6) Bonus! Get Celestia one of those flying tentacled creatures that she didn't yet remember the name of, but would remember later as being called a jellyfish.

However, when the doors shut and she was left alone in the room, she went back to being lost. Alone. With not a single clue in the world. Realising that now that she had no control over the nightmare world, she could very well end up in big trouble.

She looked down at the covers now, still unable to sleep. They were unsurprisingly red, though the colour came unnoticed in the dark and definitely warm. Still, they couldn't keep out the tremors that stole into Luna's body as she tried to shut her eyes, attempting to fall asleep. Though as the clock ticked by, sleep never came, with the shadows shifting and disturbing her before the sun chased them away at the rise of a new day.

 **=H=**

 **[Pitch Black, Bennett Residence]**

Having used any method he could think of to distract himself from the prospect of yet another enemy - or possibly an ally if he could sway the little light - he now stood inside the house and home of an enemy from so long ago. Yes, it had been ten years, but luckily for him (finally, _some_ luck), Jamie was still residing with his mother, helping her take care of Sophie and learning at a college not so far off, whilst working at a part-time job. It wasn't odd, or new, but it helped that the boy- no, man, was still there, where he could easily sniff him out and put an end to his joy. Oh, did he despise it.

That jubilant personality, carefree and constantly laughing, was still very much inside Jamie Bennett as he came into the house decorated with Sophie's pictures, as he praised his younger sibling for her blooming talent and as he greeted his mother at dinner time, complimenting the meal. Honestly, Pitch could gag at the little "reunion" that the family was having.

Instead, he watched from a corner, waiting for his moment to strike as he stalked through the shadows. First, he stopped by Sophie's room, deciding that she was the easiest member of the family to get to. After all, she was only twelve, or perhaps thirteen and as much as she pretended to be fearless, her life did get to her. The bullies in her life made his work much simpler too, no matter how sad the fact was (even for Pitch).

Walking up to her sleeping form that night, he grinned, all too widely, clasping his hands.

 _'Would you look at that. Looks like an angel, doesn't she?'_ he thought a little to himself, partly in sarcasm. _'I'll bet she dreams about flying- oh, yes, definitely does.'_ And as if to confirm his thought, a girl with wings appeared in her dreams, made of dream sand that the pathetic ball of golden sand had left just moments ago. It really hadn't surprised him, last time he saw her, she had fairy wings - which admittedly looked nothing like fairy wings - hanging off of her back. He'd expected this girl to continue dreaming outrageously, particularly after he'd been defeated. Just like he had believed the amounts of bullies would rise, not fall with his absence. Well, that is what they got for kicking him away.

 _'Now, let us see what happens when we clip and angels wings together...'_

He reached out his hand, stroking the little figures head, patting it, before letting his own, dark energy flow through the grains of gold. Slowly the black began to stain, as the image twitched just above the girls head. Sophie was already squirming in discomfort as she saw herself in pain, weakened and turning into something she was not... something frightening.

 _'Without wings, angels can't fly? And what happens to an angel who can't fly?'_ Pitch mused, with cruel intent, the grin only widening until it was strained, alien and almost impossible-looking.

The wings of the angel seemed to disintegrate altogether, as Sophie whimpered. The sand figure leaned back, tipping over. Falling. Down... down... down... and fading. He chuckled a little as he listened to the taunting chants of the other nightmares that seemed to appear on the scene, laughing at the falling girl. The girl, who had begun to cry softly now, in reality.

 _'Oh, that's right my darlings,'_ the train of thought continued, as he stroked the fallen angel that collapsed in his hands, before getting slowly reformed by his fingers. He brought the new and improved dark angel closer to his face, looking deeply into a set of platinum eyes.

 _'She falls...'_

By now, the angel had its wings spread wide, letting out a ghostly cackle. By now, Sophie was a sobbing, crying mess who hoped to wake up from that never-ending horrid spool of images that sat in her head, not wanting to leave. He called to the newly made creatures of black sand, his little dark minions, telling them to move along now. This was enough and besides; there were others to scare. It was when they slowly snuck out of the girl's subconsciousness, with Pitch taking a last, slightly less horrid glance at Sophie Bennett's sleeping form, that the scouting nightmares had arrive.

Including the one he had threatened earlier that day.

She had dashed in, almost crashing into one of the walls in the process, having luckily managed to at least transform from and back to her mare form whilst she'd been going through the window (or else she would have been the mare equivalent of a pancake, Pitch had guessed). Panting heavily, she looked up at her master. "Thuh-the l-luh-light is at the puh-puh-pole," she managed to get out of herself.

"Ah... so you do have good news to bare after all," the King of Nightmares spoke, before circling the mare, who had literally shrunk down to the size of a dog in his presence. He'd noted this with much glee.

The nightmare nodded rapidly. The others copied her gesture. "She is North's new guest," another nightmare informed.

He raised an eyebrow. _She?_ "A female guest... how old, roughly?"

"M-maybe an adolescent. Oh-or a young a-adult. Can't say for certain," a third responded, shaking their head.

"She's odd," a fourth commented, with a snort and a scuff of a hoof.

"B-blue hair," the third nightmare added. "She's dressed in red. A-acts confused too. Lost."

"Shuh-she had called h-herself Lily... buh-but, that doesn't sound right."

Listening to them speak about the newest addition to North's family, he only grew more interested. This lost, confused girl- or woman, with hair, not quite the right colour and belief that doesn't quite befit an older person, was quite perfect for him to try and persuade. Though he would need time and a disguise. Sure, he could simply kidnap her and drag her down to his lair. Though, that would be a little too obvious. They would know for a 110% that this had been his doing. No one else's. As for Luna, she would have no ties to him. They would look for her right away and he needed to ensure that they would trust her with him (only not with him-him) so that he could get them to turn a blind eye to all this. Though for the most part, he needed to know how best charm the little light into believing in him. And hopefully forgetting about them.

However, to get to her, he would first need to get to everyone else. After all, this _Lily_ didn't know who to trust. Jamie Bennett and his precious Guardians did.

"Inquietude," he looked towards the fourth nightmare. The horse seemed to puff his chest in pride as if it was a great deal to get a name. It probably was, but Pitch couldn't see the glory in it. "Keep an eye out on the Bennett family."

He then turned to the third nightmare. "Umbra," he called at her, as the equine seemed to shine at the newfound attention. "You will be on a lookout for other spirits."

"Tenebrosity," Pitch named the second one, who stepped forward, seem cooler around him. "Inform me about any moves the Guardians are making. You are welcome to give them the occasional jitters, but do make sure to remain _undetected."_

Then he looked to the shaking mare, who by now seemed to have shrunk to the size of a cat. "Nada." This mare did not look up to Pitch. Instead, she looked down in shame. "This time, you will complete your tasks beyond the expected standards, unless you wish for me to snuff out your insignificant life." The mini-mare took a few steps back, almost crashing into a drawer. "You will _carefully_ watch over this _Lily_. You will not harm her, unless _I permit_ it, or strike. You will not give yourself away and you will report to me daily. If need be, you will protect this life, no matter the cost." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you understand?"

She gulped, bobbing her head in silent acknowledgement. Sighing and finally giving up on scaring his own nightmare, he took a step back.

"You may all go now," Pitch said, "but if you mess this up, there will be consequences."

No matter how well they had taken that more or less one-sided part of the conversation, they immediately dispersed, with Inquietude keeping to the shadows of Sophie's room, until Pitch had disappeared, before moving to Jamie's.

Pitch, on the other hand, decided to revisit some of the other brats from the past, thoroughly enjoying the chaos that he created within their minds as they slept. It was much more challenging now and he had expected that, but nowhere near enough to prove a waste of time. For college students, they were still simple to scare, with common fears that they had held onto from childhood.

From little Cupcakes fear of beasts that would turn on her. (Betrayal)

To Calebs more complex depiction of violence. (Pain)

And Callum's visions of death, lurking around graveyards, with crows cackling at him cruelly. (Loss)

And sweet little Pippa's nightmare of people turning away from her, chatting behind her backs. Even things that didn't involve her, but the whole world, people turning against each other, spreading rumours and nasty comments. (Hatred)

Not to mention the fear that Jamie had, of disappointing his friends, losing his loved ones to diseases that he didn't have the money to acquire cures for and not succeeding in college. (Failure)

Each fear seemed strongest for each person, but there had been so many others that he had tested. With a big enough chance, he would return to using those fears against them another time. Though by the time he was walking down the streets, through dirty and forgotten alleyways, on litter-covered paths, listening to passing by cars and shouts, he was sated and satisfied... for the time being.

 **A/N - Well, I guess I owe a thanks for the lovely, one-lettered comment left by Guest. But seriously, thanks for reading. As too any potential queries (but feel free to ask any other question you may have):**

 _Inquietude_ **\- Fear. This one will be the most confident of the lost and the only male of this group. Yes, they are technically Night _mares_ but that means little in a world where fears have no one form. **

Umbra **\- Shadow. She stutters, but not as much as Nada. Therefore, she is smaller and doesn't have the confidence to take initiative, just normally accepts someone else's. Like a shadow. I guess I also had Umbreon on mind, from Pokemon, but that's a small thing.**

 _Tenebrosity_ **\- Darkness. Darker places are usually cooler, so see what I did there? It came with a tinge of feminity but was harsh and ominous enough for a nightmare. And yes, I used a thesaurus. Happy?**

 _Nada_ **\- Nothing. So far, she is "insignificant" as Pitch had said. He has no respect for her and she needs to earn this. I fought it funny and cruel and perfect name that someone as snarky as Pitch might give to the poor mare. She's a bit of a scardy-cat and will continue being like this, but hopefully will grow to be respected and less fearful. That is if she can put away thoughts of betrayal and focus. As you can see, the Nightmare war hadn't just affected Pitch, nor did it just affect his nightmares.**

 _The fears._ \- **I came to wonder what the fears of the five kids may be after they matured and what Cupcake's dream might symbolise. So I chose the most common and most sensible fears I could think of and tried to add some level of symbolism. What do you think, should the actual fears be in brackets or in the A/N?**

 _Hollow Shades, Tartarus, etc. (All place names referred to by Discord) -_ **Those are all real towns in Equestria. Look at the wiki. :P**


End file.
